West London Free School

Public consultation support and PR campaign for the UK’s first free school

Communitas assisted the steering group of the West London Free School, led by journalist Toby Young, with a comprehensive public consultation around the new free school. We then created and delivered a public relations strategy to launch the school’s first head teacher. The strategic aim of this work was to move the conversation on from ‘Toby Young’s school’ to focus on educationalists who would deliver the vision in practice. It also provided further reassurance to prospective parents that although a building was at that point still to be confirmed, other key ingredients of the school were in place. The appointment of Thomas Packer gained coverage across many of the broadsheets and in the education sector press, and also received significant broadcast coverage. PR helped to achieve three packed parents’ open events and subsequently 445 applicants for 120 places.